EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks to the media at the White House on June 2, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

(Newser)
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The EPA has faced no shortage of criticism over the past several months, but reproaches appear to be growing louder based on a slew of revelations this week. The AP reports on a previously undisclosed meeting EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt had with Andrew Liveris, the CEO of Dow Chemical, three weeks before the EPA chose not to ban the Dow pesticide chlorpyrifos from use on food crops. An EPA rep has downplayed the meeting, saying the two were only "briefly introduced" at an energy conference they were both speaking at. Further details:

In an open letter to Pruitt, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Environmental Working Group say they're "deeply alarmed" by the EPA decision, given the "unambiguous" finding that the chemical poses a risk to fetuses and infants, per the Hill. Pruitt has said the decision was based on "meaningful science."

Meanwhile, the top scientist on the EPA's Board of Scientific Counselors says the EPA's chief of staff asked her to alter her testimony to the House Science Committee regarding the firing of several board members. Deborah Swackhamer tells the New York Times she felt "bullied."

The Guardian reports on the EPA's plan to erase a federal rule protecting drinking water for a third of Americans. With such a move, critics say President Trump has "agreed to do the bidding of the worst polluters in our country."

Adding more fuel to the fire: In a list of new hires at the EPA, seven people stand out as coming from the coal, oil, and chemical industries. Business Insider has a blurb on each of them.